1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a device and a process for testing electric motors, in particular fan motors, for functionality.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large number of electrical devices, in particular electronic devices, are equipped with electric motors for cooling of individual components, generally referred to as fan motors. If such an electric motor, in particular a fan motor, fails or is not fully functional for other reasons, this generally results in ruination of essential components by overheating, and therewith to damage of the device. When installing the electric motor, it is possible that the motor is damaged such that the motor becomes non-functional. Thus it is of particular significance to check or test the functionality of an electric motor, in particular a fan motor, in the installed condition, in particular within a housing, that is, in a non-accessible condition.
It is known to test the functionality of an electric motor in operation by direct visional inspection, for example by checking whether it rotates or whether it produces an air flow. Besides this, a diagnosing device is disclosed in DE 32 33 018 A1, to which separate electromotor devices can be connected and tested for functionality. For this, the current draw and in certain cases the temperature of the device are used for testing and evaluating the functionality of the entire device. This diagnostic device has proven itself not to be very suitable for testing installed individual electric motors, in particular fan motors.